HEARTWOOD PRESERVE, LLC
TAMPA, FLORIDA

Heartwood Preserve is a natural cemetery within a 41-acre conservation sanctuary located in the New Port Richey area. We conserve the natural habitats found here—longleaf pine flatwoods and cypress dome wetlands. Burials do not take place in the wetland areas. Every family who chooses the burial of a loved one at Heartwood is an integral part of protecting this special environment. Heartwood Preserve is located on a wooded piece of land that was once a part of an historic cattle ranch, owned by the Starkey family since 1937. Jay B Starkey, Sr. and his partners cleared hundreds of acres of woods in the 1930s and 40s to create pastureland for cattle. However, they also left large sections of the 16,000 acres untouched with majestic stands of longleaf pines, cypress and oaks. Included within that pristine area are the 41 acres that now comprise the Heartwood Preserve. The Jay B Starkey Wilderness Park, which makes up half of the Starkey Wilderness Preserve, borders Heartwood Preserve to the north. It is one of the most beloved and popular public wilderness parks in the Tampa Bay Region, with hiking, biking and equestrian trails, picnic and camping facilities, and an environmental education center set amid a vast and diverse mosaic of ecosystems. Heartwood Preserve’s location abutting the Starkey Wilderness Preserve helps to expand the many benefits of uninterrupted natural areas. What is Heartwood Preserve? Nestled in the northwest corner of the Tampa Bay area, Heartwood Preserve honors and protects the wonder of nature while memorializing the lives of those we hold dear. Heartwood Preserve is a place where end-of-life decisions are made in harmony with nature, where all of life’s passages are honored and celebrated, and the natural ecology of a beautiful and unique habitat is protected. In keeping with this mission, we provide burial options for green burial and the burial of cremated remains. Heartwood Preserve is more than a place for natural burial. It is also a source of ecological vitality and beauty.